FIFTY SHADES OF GREEN

 Looking at the recent art work of a landscape I am doing for sure you would say there are over fifty shades of green.

Creating the shades with just three green shades and adding other colors is really making me think of God and His creation.

The world is God's canvas and all of nature is His masterpiece. The detail is amazing, right? You are probably like, dah, nothing you are telling me is new! Right? You are laughing at me now.

FOCUS.

The title of this piece should be FOCUS! 

Fifty shades of green is catchy.

Beloved friend, as Paul would say, listen, look be conscious of Jesus presence.

I totally, 100% percent believe we can't proceed in this world right now without Christ.

May Christ be the center.

As Paul went into Corinth to set up church. He then left and heard that his beloved were quarreling about who should they follow Apollos, Cephas? They were quarreling on doctrine. Hmmm? Sounds like today, with celebrity Pastors all around us. People trying to rewrite the bible to fit their choices. 

At the core of all of this is:

unbelief

lack of understanding who Jesus was, is

the lack of understanding of the promise of a Messiah is fulfilled.

the bible and it's relevancy for today

Jesus promise to return.

purpose (why we exist, the mission of Christ)

FOCUS!

Lack of FOCUS=confusion

Jesus came! His word upon dying and resurrecting from the dead...

PEACE BE WITH YOU.

Peace is knowing Him.

Lack of peace is not knowing Him...which is confusion.

Peace is not a guarantee of perfect life...meaning all the material possessions...great health etc.

It is walking, talking with Jesus...filled with hope for His return.

As I read about Paul and what he was saying to the Corinthians I am convinced that he was loving on them not by giving in and letting them be and possess anything they want, but he was telling the truth about the real meaning to Jesus and life. Pastors that are telling you what you want to hear are Pastors who want to fill their pews and be popular. This day and age Christianity is not popular. It goes against the counter culture, therefore we are being sensored and silenced.

Paul is sending out a message about his desire to be a servant, steward and Father to the people.

With our fast paced world we see more self-serving attitudes rather than servanthood, stewardship and Fatherhood. Role models who are living the life that the disciples were trained by Jesus to live.

It is hard being humbled. You do something and the Holy Spirit convicts you that wasn't really part of God's plan for you. It's humbling but not condemning. There is a difference because when you listen and go back to repair a relationship. apologize, accept an apology, take back material things you shouldn't be buying right now, turning off the news, turning off the tv series, putting down the drugs and alcohol...you feel better, your letting God work and that feeds our souls not vice versa.

People are searching...they may not even realize it, but they are. We pray and wait. The waiting is hard.

But let God fill you mind in the waiting.

Lately my head is playing a worship playlist. Even songs from my childhood are playing. It has been fun listening, tuning into what God is doing. He is trying to help. Trying to take the load of over thinking.

Let's take a quiz.

Answer good or bad to...

One variant of Covid after another will this be our life for eternity...continue with that impulsive thought, how will that look...what will the medical world be like...how can I afford that...how can this continue because it causes so much division...not everyone is on the same page...

STOP IT

From there if you don't stop and seek the Lord you will spiral down. That is what is going on in our mental health world.

The spiraling of impulsive, imagination, false narratives (not varifiable imformation) of thoughts.  Depending on the government or person to make things right in this country. If you are saying to yourself, "I'll wait for the covid to away and then everything will be okay." You walk around and take that a step further counting on it getting better and then you will do such and such or go here and there. You are setting yourself up for a sink hole. A place where you won't be able to get out. Your inner joy is depending on the fixing of problems and then you will get better. Rather than just getting up, following the leading of the Holy Spirit and living for Christ.

Paul was trying to tell all of the churches, "You are off, you are not living for the right reason, the right goals."

Your time management is skewed.

You are barely just making it through all of life struggles, yet you are miserable, but you made it through the fire.

The fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 

1 Corinthians 3:15 If it what he has built up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 

The message for today is to put aside your agenda...read the bible and it's future warning (because much of it is playing out today) realize that there is more to life that meets the eyes.

2 Corinthians 4:18 "There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever."

It takes a whole lot of FOCUS TO be able to live in the realm of Jesus calling.

It is counter cultural. 

Paul wanted to visit the Corinthians again, in his letter he asked, "What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

Better asked, "You want me to come hit you over the head? or come with love and gentleness and we could look at this together with meaning and truth?

We can't hit people over the head to help them find truth.

It is word and deed, not mere talk but in deed and in truth.

CONVICTIONS/BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

1 Cor. 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Eph. 4:11-16  ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Phil. 3:14-20  ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Following Paul’s Example ¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Col. 4:12  ¹² Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Heb. 5:14  ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Heb. 6:1  6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a] and of faith in God,

James 1:4-8 ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Ps. 146:3-4  Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

After reading the first verse (by the way did you pray before you started reading? Stop now and do it! Ask God to help you to grow to understand some new revelation from reading His word) I stopped and listened and then saw "Mature, Maturity"

I had just handled a relationship wrong. I mean I just blew it! Seeing this passage reminded me of my desire to please God first to find God's will, yet I handled things in a sinful way. So...I went to God with it. I repented and then I felt free...not condemned. God is so loving and good. The CONVICTION of it all hit me...pressing on for the prize...being mature...letting the Holy Spirit guide me being MATURE. Grow up!

Friends it is a conviction...asking God to help grow in you into maturity. Taking his word seriously, praying, being humble. For days I continue to remember the word "Mature". Always talking to God about it. 

I am gently and lovingly being guided. 

Let's pray:

Father let me continue by your love and guidance. Help me to see maturity you are calling me to. Amen

I like the saying "Bloom where you are Planted".

Maturity and blossoming they go together!

Grow!

 

DOG ODOR

 You know when you visit a friends and their dog comes near you and when you go home your dog is like...what's that smell? and proceeds to sniff away at you?

It's pretty funny! Has that happened to you?

My dog notices  it every time!

You know our life with Jesus is like that. Calm down, let me explain.

The bible claims that we have a light about us as believers. Not to boast, but when we go out and are present with people we leave a fragrance. The friend we visit with goes away and visits another friend and they are like asking, "Who were you hanging with?" Your fragrance rubbed off on them and another notices it. 

Jesus rubs off on us, we pick up His fragrance and then we sprinkle that aroma onto others.

Do you know what I'm talking about? It's just like a dog rubbing His aroma on you and your own dog recognizes it.

Sweet! Sweet Jesus! He gives us a fragrance and we just naturally pass it on. Spending much time with Jesus gives you a stronger sweet aroma. Little time, little odor! 

I hope you are taking this the right way! This promise of God is what we need and others need the aroma.

It also is said you get salty and you need to pass that salt on. Salt makes food taste better. People need more salt. Get salty! Have you heard this message before? It's just a reminder that I was thinking about!

Easter is the holy season with God, where we recognize Jesus as our Savior,  His great love death on the cross. Believing in Jesus and following Him gives us the sweet fragrance of the Lord--a beautiful, heavenly perfume. You are blessed and loved.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Let's pray about it:

Lord I want to be your sweet heavenly aroma. May you get all the glory in my life. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Okay, Okay...just like your dog giving you an aroma and other dogs notice it, Jesus gives you His heavenly aroma when you walk, talk, learn from Him.

Go spread your odor!

ALL TANGLED UP or HONKY DORY

Have you ever thrown a phone cord or purse with a long strap in your car and then later pulled it out and it was all tangled in other things in the car? Or caught on something? Ladies, have you ever put a necklace in a drawer with other jewelry only to later pull it out to find it so tangled with other jewelry? 

I catch myself while trying to untangle the mess, frustrated, and declaring, "Geez, what a pain!" 

Do you?

Next time something gets tangled ever so easily (because really it's like, what?, when it happens) think of this message.

Let me explain...

Life can be just like those cords, purse or jewelry etc. they get all tangled up so fast. I mean very fast. like there is tangle monster somewhere messing with you!

Well there is a monster, the spirit of darkness the devil himself preying around trying to get our attention on the wrong things. I caught myself looking up something about a topic I saw in the news. It has nothing to do with my life. I have my plate full lately, yet, I took the time to look up the evidence of the topic.

Do you do that?

Every ask yourself, why? Why do you need to know this information. Stop! Don't argue with me on this! Just think about your time, your stress levels, your immune system, and then answer me.

How is your stress level? It's honky dory right now? Well, I am going to admit to you humbly that everything is not honky dory. (for your fyi LoL! From William and Mary Morris’s Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins: The story goes that the principal street of Yokohama was Huncho-dori street. (OK, Danny is that true?) A sailor on shore leave would feel that everything was OK when he was on the main street.) 

Little tangent there. See how fast it happens?  I'm Tangeled! Information is as our fingertips instantly.

Friends, this message is nothing new. It simply is a reminder to watch out the devil wants to make things urgent, demanding and we get distracted easily. Then we ask ourselves, "What can I do to help myself with stress?"

Just say "NO"!

Here is the scripture that comes to my mind that goes with this message.

"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." 2 Timothy 2:4 NIV

"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15 NIV

It's not sin always that tangles us up, it's curiosity!

But getting carried away and being stressed can feel dark.

Let's pray about this:

Father help me to be aware when I am getting tangled in stuff that is not good for me. I want to draw near to you and be with you, not against you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Okay! Hoping you get the point.

I always say, Paul's sanity was protected by His certainty. 

Do get tangled up! Live in the honky dory!